Chapter 384 Dead Or Alive
Midnight came. It had been hours since Oscar and Derrick went drinking and they were still not back yet. They did not even call. Anxiousness was evident on Amelia’s face as she gripped onto her phone tightly.
Tiffany dialed Derrick’s number, but no one picked up. She was beginning to worry as well.
Amelia asked, “Tiff, did he answer it?”
“Nope. Don’t worry, Amelia. Maybe they suddenly got some stuff to attend to. Derrick called me two hours ago and said they were on their way back, so maybe something happened on the road,” Tiffany said.
Amelia jumped to her feet from the couch. “I’ll go find him.”
“Babe, please stop messing around. You’re blind right now. How are you going to find him?” Tiffany said anxiously.
Amelia froze on the spot.
Tiffany immediately uttered apologetically, “Amelia, I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m just worried about you. Please don’t mind what I said. Anyway, let’s go out and try to find them then.”
Amelia forced out a smile. “No, it’s my fault. I guess I must have forgotten that I’m blind for a second there. Let’s sit down and wait. Maybe they’ve really run into something on the way. It’s pointless for us to worry about nothing.”
Tiffany was still feeling guilty. Before she could say anything, however, Amelia spoke again.
“Tiff, we’re not strangers. So don’t worry about your words. If our relationship can’t stand such honesty, then I don’t really deserve so much help from you.”
Tiffany swallowed back her words after hearing that.
After a while, Kurt opened his mouth too. “Amelia, why don’t I go look for them? I have some connections in Beshya. I’ll ask them to help.”
“There’s no need for that. They’re both grown-ups. I doubt they’d get lost that easily. I’m just overreacting. Kurt, you should go ahead and rest first. Tiff and I will go to bed soon as well.” Amelia lifted her head and gazed at Kurt with her non-seeing eyes.
“Let me stay here with you,” Kurt said.
Amelia hesitated and swallowed back her words. Indeed, she felt she owed Kurt too much. If it were not for Kurt, it would’ve been difficult for her and Tiffany to raise a kid in these two years. After all, one of them was blind while the other was often busy with her scripts. Amelia was well aware of the fact that Kurt had treated her truly well.
“Kurt, thank you. And I’m sorry,” Amelia uttered with a soft voice. I owe him an apology. I’m afraid I could never pay back what he has done for me.
Kurt bit his lip as complicated emotions swirled in his gaze.
Tiffany immediately weighed in. “Have a seat then, Kurt. Amelia just doesn’t want you to be tired.”
With that, Kurt sat down.
As the three of them sat on the couch, the atmosphere soon turned awkward.
Just then, Tiffany’s phone rang abruptly. She looked at it and shouted with excitement, “Amelia, it’s from Derrick!”
“Pick it up now.”
Tiffany answered the call. After a few seconds, the color drained from her face as she choked on her words. “We need to go to the hospital now.”
Amelia started to panic. “What happened? Why are we going to the hospital?”
Tiffany’s hand could not stop trembling. “They… They had a car accident.”
Amelia’s mind went blank instantly.
It wasn’t until they have gotten into the car that Amelia finally regained her sense. She reached out, trying to find Tiffany’s hand, but failed. At that moment, she hated herself for being blind. She felt so useless whenever people around her needed help.
“Tiff, how are they? Did the doctor say how serious it was?” Amelia asked nervously.
“Babe, please calm down first. The nurse only said they had an accident. We’ll find out more once we reach the hospital. Let me give Mr. Jensen a call. He’s a friend of Derrick. With him around, the other doctors and nurses will treat them well.” Tiffany forced out a calm front while comforting Amelia.
“Please call him now then,” Amelia urged.
Tiffany made a call to Charles, and he picked up after a long while.
“Tiffany, I’m sorry I didn’t have my phone with me just now. I was busy with some work. Why are you calling at this late hour? Did something happen to your friend’s eyes again?” Charles asked.
“No. It’s Derrick. He’s been in a car accident and got sent to Principal General Hospital. I want to ask if you could go check it out?” Tiffany asked apologetically.
“Derrick’s in Beshya? Why didn’t he call me? I’ll go to the hospital now. Don’t worry too much,” Charles replied.
“Thank you, Mr. Jensen. And sorry for troubling you at this hour.”
“Tiffany, Derrick has been my friend for over twenty years. He’s my best buddy. You don’t have to be so courteous with me. And just call me Charles. I’m heading to the hospital now. So I’ll talk to you later.”
Hanging up the phone, Tiffany held Amelia’s hand tightly. The two of them fell into deep silence.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Holding hands together, they rushed inside.
Tiffany asked the nurse at the counter anxiously, “Nurse, have you brought in two patients that were from a car accident?”
The nurse checked and responded, “There are a few car accident patients here. But two younger men died right after they reached here. It was a drunk driving accident. The cops are trying to get more details about the case on the third floor. I’ve also called the patient’s next of kin. So please head on to the third floor to claim them.”
Amelia and Tiffany’s faces paled in fright. The latter leaned on the table and asked, “Nurse, is there some kind of mistake? Didn’t you say there were a few patients? Where are the ones alive?”
“They’re all on the third floor. But the other three are all elders. We’ve checked their identity card. They’re from the village and we’ve called their families. Their families all live far away and won’t be here for a short while. You don’t look like you’re from the village either. My condolences,” the nurse responded indifferently.
Tiffany had the urge to strangle the nurse.
“What kind of attitude is this? You deserve to be a nurse forever,” Tiffany shouted at the nurse.
“Lady, how can you speak like that? I’m just trying to do my job here.”
“How could you give me your condolences without even confirming who my husband is? Do you want me to ask the dean to fire you? I don’t understand how Principal General Hospital has hired such low-quality nurses. I bet you got this job through connections.” Tiffany’s eyes were filled with rage.
“You’re being unreasonable here. I was just trying to comfort you. How could you say such a thing?”
“Nonsense! I’m sure they are still alive. You are the one who will die young. You have no professional courtesy at all. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll sue you?” Tiffany was overwhelmed with wrath.
Just then, Amelia pulled Tiffany back and said with a trembling voice, “Tiff, let’s just go upstairs.”
Tiffany held Amelia and choked on her words. “Amelia, don’t panic yet. I’m sure they’re fine. Let’s go up and check now.”
After they got into the elevator, the nurse at the counter cursed indignantly, “What a crazy woman.”
When they reached the third floor, Tiffany stopped a doctor passing by. “Doctor, may I know where are the car accident victims who just got sent here?”
“Are you their family? My condolences. The five of them were in serious conditions when they got here. We’ve tried our best but failed to save them. They’re still in the operating room. Please head on over to see them one last time,” the doctor said.
Tiffany let go of the doctor’s hand. Her eyes dimmed as she said, “Thank you, doctor.”
The doctor nodded slightly and left.
Amelia staggered a few steps back and fell backward. Kurt immediately supported her. Meanwhile, Tiffany covered her head in disbelief. “This must be a misunderstanding. I’m going to call Derrick now. I bet this is all just a joke. How could he die from a car accident? That’s impossible.”
Tiffany dialed Derrick’s number nervously, but no one answered.
“Why is there no one picking up? Derrick, answer it. I’m begging you. I’ll go home with you if you answer now. In fact, I’ll stay right by your side from now on. So, please.” Tiffany bawled her eyes out.
Amelia took a deep breath while getting up from Kurt’s embrace. She hugged Tiffany tightly. “Tiff, don’t be like this. Oscar and Derrick will be fine. Let’s go and see those patients. It must be a misunderstanding.”
Tiffany took a deep breath and nodded.
“That’s right. Let’s go check. I’m sure it wasn’t them.” Yet, they were rooted to the spot when they reached the operating room’s door.
Tiffany stared at the closed door, her face utterly pale. The door opened, and the nurses pushed out the beds that were covered in white sheets. Tiffany could not stop trembling upon seeing that.
“Ms. Winters, why are you here? Did something happen to Ms. Amelia’s eyes again?” The lead doctor recognized them as he had participated in Amelia’s eyes surgery before.
